Shoe-polishing machine.



E. JONES.

SHOE POLISHING MACHINE.

-APPLICATION HLED MAY 25, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

E. JONES.

SHOE POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, mm.

1 139 53 1 g Patented May 18, 1915.

i rHE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ. \VASHINGION, D. C

E. JONES.

SHOE POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, I914.

31 139 5 I o Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHO{D-LITHO.. WASHINCI'ON, l). C.

UNfTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

EZEKIEL JONES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-POLISHING- MACHINE.

Application filed May 25, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EZEKIEL Jones, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe-polishing machines, and its purpose is to provide an apparatus whereby shoes in use may be speedily and easily polished by the wearer, while he is seated.

Of the accompanying drawings, which represent the invention somewhat diagrammatically: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my shoe-polishing apparatus, portions thereof being broken away to show clearly variousparts of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the right-hand end of the machine, with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a trans verse vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the parts as they would appear when viewed toward the left of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4: is a horizontal section, on a reduced scale, indicated by line t1 through the tilting table shown in Fig. 1. Fig. is a detail view of the clutch-connection for the brushes. Fig. 6 is a side view of a portion of the magazine or turret disk shown in elevation in Fig. 2. This fig ure shows a slot for the reception of a brush shank or the shank of a blacking-container, and shows the edges of retaining members whereby the shank is removably held in the turret slot. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the retaining means shown by Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a blacking-container adapted to be mounted in the turret.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

-With reference to the drawings, a base member is indicated generally at 10 in Figs. 1 and 2, said base member being hollow and forming a chamber of U-shaped vertical cross section. Mounted to slide in the vertical cylindric portions 11 and 11 of the base member are plunger pedestals 12 and 12' provided respectively with heads 13 and 13 in which is mounted a transverse rod 14 held against movement by set screws 127. Loosely mounted on the ends of the rod 1 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May is, me.

Serial No. 840,745.

are bearing pieces 15 and 15 for a bed or table 16. The table 16 comprises three layers, preferably of metal, slotted as shown by Fig. 1, for a purpose presently to be described.

Slidably mounted upon the table 16 is a carriage indicated generally at 19, said carriage having columns 20 and 21 bearing a casing 22 through which passes longitudinally a shaft 23 which receives rotation through a flexible shaft 241 from any suitable source of power, such as an electric motor, not shown. The shaft 23 is jour-- naled in the casing 22 and is provided with collars 23 whereby it is held against end movement. Shafts 25 and 26 extend downwardly from the casing 22 through the columns 20 and 21 of the carriage and into the slots 17 and 18 of the table. These shafts are provided near their upper ends with shoulders 27 which abut against the upper surface of the columns of the carriage and prevent endwise movement of the shaftsin a downward direction. Between the ends of the shafts 25 and 26 are mounted sprocket wheels 28, a portion of the columns being cut away for the reception of the sprocket wheels. The sprocket wheels 28 are connected by an endless chain 29, the purpose of the chain being to insure equal rotation of the shafts 25 and 26. Aflixed to the upper ends of shafts 25 and 26 are bevel gears 30 and 31. The teeth of the gears 30 and 31 mesh with a plurality of bevel gears 32, 32, and 33, 33, which are mounted to rotate independently on the shaft 23 but are held against movement longitudinally thereof. Each of the gears 32 and 33 is formed with an elongated shank at the end of which are provided two pairs of laterally extending lugs or cars 34 (Fig. Pivoted midway of their length between each pair of lugs 31 are gripping members 35. Splined upon the shaft 23 and rotatable therewith though capable of movement longitudinally thereof are tapered sleeves 36 and 36, best shown by Fig. 1, which sleeves, when caused to 00- act with the complemental gripping members 35 form clutch mechanism.

On the lower ends of shafts 25 and 26 are rigidly mounted pinions 37 and 38 respectively. The teeth of these pinions mesh with complemental teeth which project into the curved slots 17 and 18 from the middle layer of the tongue-like portions ofthe table 7 16 which are defined by the slots. See

Fig. 4. I

Standards 39 and 40 mounted upon the casing 22 of the carriage 'afi ord"bearings for a looped rod 4L1, to the lower stretch of 36, and each of the members 13 is similarly formed to straddle a'member 36, the members 36 ,and;3 6 having annular shoulders between which is a groove for the reception of the bifurcations. I 7 7 Q i.

. A ho'llow'vertical post 41% mounted to turn in an arched base member 5L5 is shown at the right ofFig.v 1. Tojthe upper end of the post is afliXed an elbow 16. In the free end of the elbow is abea'ring forthe axle 50 of a magazine or turret disk 4L7 onwhich are mounted a'plurality of brushes and blacking-cont ainers. This construction permits the turret disk tomove bodily in a horizontal plane about post 14 and to revolve in vertical planes on its axlebO. Shown behind the tools of the turret in Fig. 1, is thefoot rest 48 of abootblacks chair. The remainder of the chair is omitted from the drawing, but it is to be understood that anychair provided with a foot rest may be used. EX- tending from convenient points of attachment on the chairor ona wall or partition adjacent the back of the chair are arms 52 and 53 the free ends of which affordbearings for a vertical rod 5 1. Mounted upon the upperend of the rod 54.- in a position convenient formanipulation by theleft hand of the person sitting inthechair, is a hand lever 51. Rotation of this lever in a horizontal plane transmits motion through rod 5a, to a bevel gear 55 aliixed to the lower end thereof. This gear meshes with a bevel gear 56 aflixed to' the end of a horizontal rod 57 which has a'bearing in ajmember 58. The

rod 57 extends through and has a bearing in the arched-base member "1:5 the rod being provided with a collar 59 which abuts against the outer surface of the member 45' and assists in' holding the shaft against end movement. Mounted upon. the'end of the shaft'57 which underlies the arch is a bevel gear 60. This gear meshes with a comple mental gear 61,;afiixed to the lower end of the rod 62 which passes upwardly through the hollow post 14. The rod 62 is mounted in bearings in theupperand lower ends of the post 44. At. theupper end of the rod 62 is a bevel'gear 63 which meshes with a gear 64; afiixed' to the turret-axle 50. From this description it will be apparent that'by rotat- L 6 ing the hand lever 51 in a horizontal-plane length, one end of the aperture being occu-' pied by shaft 23 to which the clutch may be affixed in any desired manner, as by setscre'ws, not shown. "The aperture is provided with a recess in which are oppositely arranged springs 65 of strip steel attached in any desired manner to the clutch body and'for'med so as to bulge toward the longi tudinal median line of the clutch, this arrangement of the springs causing them to engage frictionally a body introduced into the free end of the clutch, as for instance, the shank 66 of a brush. I do not confine :myself to a clutch of this'particular OOIlSiJIUCs' tion, but may use any suitable friction clutch.

The brush-receiving slots of'the turret are I provided with resilient retaining members 47, as shown by Figs. 6' and 7 which allow insertion and removal of the brushes yet hold them in the slotsuntil force is applied to remove them. The slots for the blackingcontainers are likewise provided with the members 47.

"Means whereby othermechanism of the apparatus is manipulated I are. shown in' Fig.

2. I Within easyreach of the right hand of the operator seated in the chair, is a handle 67 aiiixed to the upper end of a piston rod 68 which is mounted'to slide through the stuffingboX in the head 69 of a cylinder 7 O. The cylinder is supplied with water from any suitable source. When the handle 67 is de-' pressed; the'water in the. cylinder 70and in the conduit 17 2 is forced downwardly by the pressure of the piston head '71, the level of the water inbase member :10 is raised, pressure is appliedto the base of the plunger pedestals 12 and 12", and the pedestals with their-superstructure are thereby raised to" a degree corresponding with the depth of depression of thehandle 67. Although I f detent is brought beneath one ofthe bar teeth, and'the upward'pressure of the liquid inthecylinder causes the detent 72 to abut against the bottom of the tooth. To release the detent and allow the table to fall the handle is turned until the detent is clear of the coacting tooth, when the handle will rise to its normal position.

Referring to Fig. 2,arranged in serles at the right of the chair are hand levers 7 3, 7 1 and 75. The lower end of the lever 75 is affixed to a rockshaft 76 which has a bearing at one end in a member 77 similar to the member 79 at the lower right of Fig. 1. The rockshaft 7 6 is also provided near its other end with a bearing 80 secured to the floor. At the left-hand end of the rockshaft 7 6 is atlixed an arm 81 which extends upwardly and is pivoted at its upper end to one end of a bar 82. (Fig. 1.) The other end of the bar 82 is mounted on a stud 83 projecting horizontally outward from the bearing piece 15 of the table, the axis of the pivot 83 being in vertical line with the axis of axle 14. when the lever 75 is in its median or neutral position. Movement of the lever 7 5 thus imparts motion to the roclrshaft 7 6, which motion is transmitted to the vertical bar 81, causing it to describe an arc concentric with that described by the lever 75. The motion imparted to the rod 82 causes the table to tilt. The lever 75 is provided with a spring latch, the handle of which is indicated at ea. This handle 84: is grasped in conjunction with the handle of the lever, and pressure on the handle 84 causes the rod 85 of the latch to be drawn upwardly. The rod 85 passes through apertured lugs 88 and 87 and is provided with a collar 86 which normally abuts against the upper surface of the lug 87 The rod 85 is provided at its lower end with a detent 89 which is arranged to enter into the notches in the upper surface of the member 7 7. W hen the handle Set is pressed by the hand grasping the handle of lever 7 5 the detent is raised and the lever may be moved to any desired position to tilt the table 16 and its superstructure. The handle 84 is then released and the table is held securely in place by the detent 89 of the lever latch, which is projected into a notch in member 77 by the compression spring 90 which coacts with the lug 88 and collar 86 to force the rod 85 and detent 89 downwardly.

Lever 74 is similar in construction to lever 75. This lever, however, is aflixed to one end of a sleeve 91 mounted on the shaft 7 6. This sleeve has at its other end a laterally extending arm 92 which is pivoted at its up per end to one end of a rod 92 which comprises two portions connected by a turnbuckle 9, the rod 92 being pivoted at its other end between lipped ends of frame members 93 and 93. The turnbuckle regulates the are through which the frame members swing. From their lipped ends the frame members curve upwardly, as shown best by Fig. 1, to points which when the table is level are in the vertical plane of the longitudinal median line of the member 14. The frame members pass upwardly through slots 96 and 96 respectively, provided in the table, where they are mounted on pivots 95 and 95, best shown by Fig. 3, arranged in the middle layer of the table. The frame members are connected near their upper ends by a crosspiece 97 (Figs. 2 and 3) which serves to increase their rigidity. A crossbar 98 extends parallel to the crosspiece 97, the bar 98 being mounted so as to slide both in the directions of its ends and perpendicularly thereto in slots provided in the members 93 and 93. The upper stretch of the looped rod 41 of the carriage passes transversely through the bar 98, the bar 98 being provided with a laterally extending stud on which is mounted a friction shoe 100 held normally above and away from the rod l1 by a spring 101. Mounted at the extreme upper end of the member 93 is a fiat bar 102 of springy metal. This bar has a ninetydegree twist near its point of anchorage to the member 93, and near the upper end of the frame member 93 the bar 102 is given another ninety degree twist, an upward curve, and is then turned downwardly. The bar 102 normally springs upwardly out of engagement with the shoe 100; but by the construction just described, when the bar is in operative position, it has edge contact with the friction shoe 100 and is capable of considerable lateral flexure and edgewise fl xure. Sidewise movement of the carriage will cause the crossbar 98 to receive endwise movement, but the shoe 100 will remain in contact with rod 41 and with the resilient rod 102.

When the lever 7 at is moved, its motion is transmitted to the hollow shaft 91, arm 92, rod 92', and the frame members 93 and 93. The upper portions of the frame members are thereby swung in a direction opposite to that given to the lever, and the crossbar 98 slides loosely upon the rod ll, arcuate movement of the bar 98 being avoided by its play in the slots of the frame members 93 and 93 through which the bar extends.

Lever 73 (Fig. 2) is affixed to a hollow shaft 104 which is mounted to oscillate on hollow shaft 91. An arm 105 extends upwardly from the end of shaft 104 in a line parallel with the lever 73. Attached to the upper end of the arm 105 is one end of a flexible connection 106, such as a cord or chain. The other end of the cord or chain is attached to the free end of spring rod 102. Mounted on a stud projecting horizontally from the inside wall of the bearing piece 15 of the table is a sheave 107 which coacts with the flexible connection 106 to change the direction of power applied by the lever 7 3 whereby the rod 102 is drawn downwardly. The table 16 is apertured at 16 1 (Fig. 4;) for the. passage; therethroi'ighs of;

connection 106.

The operation of thermachine. is effectedlas followszlf: it1be assumed thatthe carriage is in the position .shown by Fig.3 1. andindicatedby the position of? gears37, and38 in. Fig.4, the operator. will: grasp with; his.

right handthe lever; 73. and draw it back? wardlyas far; as possible. By means. of the intervening connections the force. applied to; the lever is caused. to; draw downwardly the rod 102. (Figs. 2 and. 3) which in turn;de.-'

presses the shoe 10.0. and. causes it, tobean against the rodl, the latter being thereby held rigidly with relation to the crossbar 9.8:

The operator now grasps lever Tkandadraws. it backwardly. This tiltsthe frame. mem

bers 93, 93 and: moves the crossbar 98;in a substantially. horizontal path away. from the operator, or; towardthe left of: Fig; 1. The

crossbar 98 rises intheslots of theframe members because their line of travel; 1s a downward. curve, but. sufficient pressure is maintained on the rod 11 by-the shoe .100 to.

prevent the rod from slipping through they crossbar 98. When thelever 74 has been drawn backward sufficiently, the pendent; shipping members 43 .will ha've wedged the splined and-tapered sleeves 36 between the gripping members 35,.the members 35 being thus tilted to grasp the shanks of the. bevel gears 33 which mesh with the bevel .gears 30 and31. By any suitable means, such as a switch (not shown) which may be located at any convenient point near the operator, the motor or other source vofpowerwhich imparts rotation in a clockwise direction to the shaft 23 through flexible shaft 2a. is caused to operate.

gears 31 to revolve, the rotation-beingtrans mitted through shafts 2'5 and 26 to the small gears 37 and 38, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth in the slots Hand 18 0f: the

- table 16. The carriage19- isthus caused to travel toward the operator untilitreaches the limit of its movement in that direction. The lever 71- is then pushed forwardlyto its neutral position, which causes the traversingmechanism of the carriage to. become inoperative, although the shaft 23 still continues to revolve The lever ('3 may be-allowed to retain its operative position until movement of the carriage is again required.

ends of the slots, thereby guarding against The bevel gears 33 oni shaft 23 now turn therewith and cause bevel breakage of gear teeth and the teeth in the slots 17 and 18. After such stoppage of the carriagemovement it would only be necessary'to place-thelevers 73 and 74 in their neutral or inoperative position in order to readjust'thewcrossbar 98 and rod elfor restarting; 1

Assuming'nowi that thecarriage is occupying its extreme forward position at the left. of theshoe -19, for present purposes it may also be assumed that the turret is in a position where the. brushes mounted thereoniare parallelwith the clutch on shaft 23. Grrasping the lever 51' with, his left hand, the operator moves the lever in a horizontalplane. If the levern5l be turned in: aclockwise direction theturret 47 will revolve clockwise in a vertical plane. If desired a counter clockwise movement may be impartedto thelever 51, which will give counterrclockwise movement to. the turret. When the brush desired for first use on the shoe say, for instance, brush B in Fig. 2 has been brought in alinement= with the clutch 65 ontheend of shaft 23, the turret may beheld'stationary by the left hand of a the operator and the carriage is operated to move forwardly until the shank 66 of the brnshis driven into the clutch, in which it will be gripped and securely held by the springs 65. The left. hand of the operator may then swing the turret bodily to the left and away. from the brush gripped by the clutch, this action causing the members 47 to sprin apart and the turret.

After the operations described in the last paragraph have been performed, the car;

release the brush from riage is at its forward positionat the left 1 ofthe shoe, and'movement of the shaft 23,

which has been continuous, causes the revolution of the brush B'which by the insertion of its shank into the clutch has been brought into position to polish the shoe 49. Lever 73, if at neutral, is now drawn -backwardly, and lever 74 is grasped and projected forwardly, these operations resulting in rodfll, its pendent shippers and the tapered sleeves 36 being moved toward the operator, thus causing the grippers 35 to engage the shanks of gears '32 and'impart rotation thereto, the gears 32 meshing with the teeth of bevel gears 30 and 31 which-impart rotation through shafts 25 and '26to the gears 37' and 38 at the lower ends of the shafts.

The gears 37 and'38 are carried along theslots 17 and 18 by theircoaction with the teeth in the slots, the carriage being thus moved in a-corresponding path.

While the carriage is in motion and the revolving brush is being'carried about the shoe 49, the brush'may beelevated or lowered by thedepression or elevation respectively of handle 67, which causes the table, and consequently the brush, to rise in the manner hereinbefore described. By turning the handle 67 suiliciently to keep the detent out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet 72 and by alternately depressing the handle and allowing it to rise, the brush may be caused to work in different planes. By moving the lever 7 5 to the rear, the end of the table 16 nearer the operator will be caused to tilt downwardly, the brush consequently operating obliquely. lever 75 forwardly the table end nearer the operator will be tilted upwardly and the brush will operate at another angle. The angularity of the application of the brush to the shoe may therefore be varied at will.

When the brush has reached the righthand side of the shoe and has been carried to its extreme forward position, the lever 74. is drawn rea-rwardly as far as possible. The travel of the carriage is thus reversed, and the revolving brush will be carried back to its extreme forward position at the left of he shoe, its path being governed by the curve of the slots, the depression of the handle 68 and the position of the lever 75. .Vhen the brush arrives at its forward posi tion at the left of the shoe, if a change of brushes is desired the table will be brought to its normal level. The empty slot of the turret disk may now be manually swung back to the position in which it presented the shank of brush B to the clutch65, so that the spring member i7 will pass above and below the shank 66 between the collars '36 and 66". The carriage is now caused to back away from the turret, while the turret is held stationary by the left hand of the operator, whereby the clutch will be withdrawn from the shank 66 of the brush. The lever 51 at the left of the operator may now be rotated to carry brush B away on the turret and bring the shank of brush A into position to be fitted into the clutch 65, and when the clutch has been moved toward and has grasped the shank of the brush the turret is either rotated vertically or swung away horizontally to dislodge the brush from the slot in the turret. By turning the lever 51 a blacking-container G is revolved into position whereby when the brush is at the left side of the shoe its bristles are brought into contact with the blacking, the brush being aused to enter into the container as deeply as desired by grasping the turret disk and swinging it toward the brush the desired distance. The blacking is applied to the shoe by the revolving brush.

In order to polish the back of the shoe it is most convenient to give the shoe an angular position with relation to the foot rest, using the heel as a pivot. The toe of the shoe shown in Fig. 2, for instance,

By pushing would be turned to the right in order to polish the left half of the back of the shoe, and when the brush is at a corresponding position on the other side of the shoe the toe would be swung to the left in order to polish the right half of the back of the shoe.

I claim:

l in a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble shaft having bearings in said carriage, a brush-clutch on said shaft, and carriage-moving mechanism arranged to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodily with relation to said table.

2. In a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble brush-shaft having hearings in said carriage, carriage-moving mechanism arranged to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodily with relation to said table, and manually operative means for raising and lowering said table.

3. In a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble brush-shaft having bearings in said carriage, carriage-moving mechanism arranged to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodily with relation to said table, and manually operative means for tilting said table.

l. In a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble brush-shaft having bearings in said carriage, carriage-moving mechanism arranged to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodily with relation to said table, and manually operative means for connecting and disconnecting said carriage-moving mechanism with said shaft.

5. In a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble brush-shaft having bearings in said carriage, carriage-moving mechanism arranged to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodily with relation to said table, and means for automatically disconnecting said carriage-moving mechanism from said shaft.

6. In a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble brush-shaft having bearings in said carriage, carriage-moving mechanism arranged to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodily with relation to said table, said mechanism including manually adjustable means by which the direction of movement of said carriage mav be reversed.

7. In a shoe-polishing machine, a table, a carriage movably mounted on said table, a revoluble brush-shaft having bearings in said carriage, "carriage-moving mechanism arranged'to transmit motion from said shaft to move said carriage and shaft bodilywith relation to said table, manually operative means for raising and lowering said table,

manually operative means for-tilting said iaxi ally revolving a brush, of a magazine for deta'chably holding brushes and'blacktable, and manually operative means for connecting and disconnecting said carriagemoving mechanism-With said shaft.

8. In a shoe-polishing:machineytheicombina tion'withvmeans for engaging and 'axi ally revolving a brush, of a brush-magazine V manually adjustable to transfer 'abrush to said means WhQIlSZLld means is in a predetermined position.

L9. In:a:shoe-.polishing machine, thec'ombination With =means for engaging and axially revolving:afbrush, of a magazine for deta'chablyiholding a plurality of brushes, said magazine being manually operative to itra'nsfer any one of said brushes to said means When 'sai d'me'ans is in "a predeterininediposition. I a

10. In a shoe polishing machine, the combination of means for fri'ctionally'holding and axially revol'ving'a brusln and amaga- Zine for -de't'achably holding brushes and having a bl a'cking container thereon, said magazine being unahually adjustable to transfer a brush held thereon to said means and to position said 'bla'cking container "to supply blacking to the transferred brush.

1 1. In a shoe=polishing"machine, the Combination wvitlrrotary means for axially revolving a ibrush, of a 'magazine for *a pluralityof 'bl'acking containers, said magazine Copies orthfs'patent'may"beobtaind-tor'five centseaeh,byaddressingthe comniissioneriof Patents,

.: beingz'manually adj ustable to bring i the contents ofa'any' one of'said blacking-containers into contact With-a brushheld by said ro- 'tary :means. 7

12. Inrra shoe-polishing machine, the com-' binationwith rotary'means for holding and ing 'containers, said magazine being emanua-lly adjustableito transfer anyone of said iblUSllSltO said rotary means and to position any, one ofcsaid blaoking-containers to supply 'blacking .toraibrush in said rotary means. I l V 7 .13. ilnra shoe=polishing machine, the coml'bination With r'means for frictionally engaging rand reciprocating a brush, of a magazin'e manually adjustable, to dislodge a brush from saidzmean-s'when said means are receding ifromi a predeterminedposition. 7

14. in 'av'shoe-polishing machine, the com,-

binationwith :means "for frietionally engaging s and reciprocating a brush, of a -maga- 'zine manually adjustable to dislodge a brush fronrsai'd means Whensaidmeans are =receding zfrom 1a spred'etermined position,

*said :magazine :having retaining devices whereby "upon dislodgment -of said brush :from said means the brush is automatically :held upon said niragazine.

In testimony whereof I haveaffixed my isignaturain-presence1of-two Witnesses.

EZEKIEL J ONES. Witnesses:

.C. F; BROWN, 7 LP. W. PEZ'ZETTI;

wsaann am,no?! 

